One Accord: Practical Guide to a Restorative School Community

Imagine a school where 60% of the staff feel like they are all on different pages, and the other 40% feel unsupported. 30-40% of the students feel like the school "doesn't care". That educational environment is more than likely functioning in dysfunction. The good thing is that through restorative practices, chaos can become a community and the road to on-boarding students and staff will be a collective process.This practical guide to a Restorative School Community is intended to explain restorative philosophy and its practical application. Most educational and justice systems today are heading in a restorative direction, and this guide will help you get aboard the restorative train. If principles are clear, programs are implemented with principles in mind, and the community allows themselves to be evaluated by these principles, the potential for supporting school community will be greater. Restorative practice is a community-based approach to building, repairing and restoring relationships. It provides a space for community members to be held accountable while participating in creating pathways to repair. Restorative practices encourage participants to reflect how their thoughts and actions impact the whole community.